The incoming Stanford student living under siege in Gaza
AbuHashem posted this picture of himself on Instagram along with a caption in which he explained how he fears for his life and called on Stanford to recognize the crisis in Gaza.(Photo courtesy of Yousef AbuHashem)
2 hours ago
Yousef AbuHashem ’25 has kept a small backpack close to him since Israeli airstrikes targeting Gaza began 11 days ago. The bag is large enough to fit only the bare essentials: his birth certificate, passport, secondary school diploma, clothing and cash.
“When we hear that our house or any nearby building is threatened, we grab the bag and have to leave everything behind,” AbuHashem said.
In a year unlike any other, the Stanford community was quick to respond to the challenges and uncertainties created by the coronavirus pandemic. Many scholars pivoted their research to tackle the effects of the health crisis, from seeking therapies to treat the disease, to creating tools to speed the development of a vaccine, to better understanding its impact on psychological well-being.
Meanwhile, faculty also transformed their curriculum to meet the new demands of online learning. Students showed resiliency as they adjusted to these new virtual learning spaces and staff too found new ways to connect with one another while working from home. Despite these setbacks, research also continued with innovations in science and technology and new understandings about the world from the social sciences, arts and humanities. And in the wake of George Floyd’s tragic death in Minneapolis, students, staff and faculty came together to find ways to tackle anti-Black racism and advance divers